Faces of Hepatitis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 5.3 million Americans are infected with chronic hepatitis, and most people don't know they are infected. The Viral Hepatitis Action Coalition is presenting Faces of Hepatitis as part of a larger effort to help CDC raise awareness about the disease and who is at risk. These short videos tell the stories of people affected by hepatitis – individuals living with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, their families and loved ones, healthcare providers and community advocates. Faces of Hepatitis helps illustrate that viral hepatitis is not just one story, or face or voice, but many.
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You may also submit your own story as a short written story or a link to a video.
Antonio Gonzales
Antonio Gonzales (Comca’Ac) is an advocate for American Indians and a Vietnam combat veteran with two purple hearts. He received a liver transplant in 2005 to treat Hepatitis C and resulting liver disease.Su Wang
Dr. Su Wang is the assistant director of medical affairs at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York. She learned of her Hepatitis B infection after giving blood as a college student and later learned that her mother also has Hepatitis B.Pauli Gray
Pauli Gray is a musician and patient educator. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1997.Arline Loh
Arline Loh was diagnosed with Hepatitis B at age 39 after feelings of fatigue prompted her to talk to her doctor.Gloria Searson
Following a diagnosis of HIV, Gloria Searson later learned of her co-infection with Hepatitis C.Robin Roth
Robin Roth was diagnosed with Hepatitis C following her request for a hepatitis screening during a routine medical exam.Maureen Holmberg
Maureen Holmberg was infected with Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion. She was diagnosed years later when she asked her doctor for a hepatitis test.Jules Levin
Jules Levin lives with HIV and was co-infected with Hepatitis C for 30 years prior to being successfully treated and cured of Hepatitis C. He is the founder of NATAP, an internet resource for global HIV & hepatitis conference coverage and information.Ted Fang
Ted Fang helps lead the largest outreach campaign for the Asian American community about Hepatitis B - San Francisco Hep B Free.Lesley Miller
Dr. Lesley Miller co-directs and practices in Grady Hospital's Liver Clinic which provides comprehensive care and treatment for patients with Hepatitis C.Kelvin Johnson
Kelvin Johnson has worked as an HIV counselor and community advocate. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C following his request for a test from his doctor in the 1990s.Kasia Loniewska
Katarzyna (Kasia) Loniewska is a substance abuse counselor working with Polish speaking populations in Chicago. She was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2001.Don Doty
Don Doty founded the Georgia Doty Health Education Fund based in Chicago, Illinois. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1998.Teresa Tomaino
Theresa Tomaino was infected with Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion due to Thalassemia. She was diagnosed with HCV in 1992.Bill Chen
Dr. Chen discovered he had Hepatitis B after donating blood in 1976. He underwent liver surgery in 2001 to improve his condition.Nisha Gupta
Dr. Nisha Gupta was infected with Hepatitis C in 1990 after being exposed to blood while working in the emergency room. Nisha has received two liver transplants as a result of Hepatitis C.John Bizon
John Bizon discovered that he had Hepatitis C in 1995 through a routine physical. He had contracted HCV through a blood transfusion as a child.Michael Hagan
Dr. Hagan contracted Hepatitis B while working in the ER in 1984 and received a liver transplant in 1999. Dr. Hagan currently works with Gift of Life Michigan and oversees their quality improvement initiatives dealing with organ and tissue donation.Janilla Lee
Dr. Janilla Lee has worked as a Hepatitis B educator since 2006. In 2009, she was instrumental in establishing Asian Center - SE MI. Currently she is a researcher with the University of Michigan Health System, Program for Multicultural Health where her role focuses on programs to promote healthy living in Asian Americans. She is working with medical and public health students at University of Michigan to help their underserved Hepatitis B patients get treatment. Her husband died of lymphoma due to Hepatitis B complications in 2004.
